Professors and instructors at Iowa State may soon be able to find out their strengths and weaknesses from students before the end of the semester.

Government of the Student Body President Bryan Burkhardt and other members of GSB are working to implement mid-semester professor evaluations.

The evaluations were a platform on Burkhardt’s campaign for president last spring.

“We have not yet been able to implement mid-semester evaluations, but GSB members are making contacts and are in the process of putting the evaluations into the works,” Burkhardt said.

By starting mid-semester evaluations, Burkhardt said he hopes not only to help professors better understand their students’ needs, but also to help the students benefit from their evaluations while they are still in the class.

GSB has been working with a faculty advisory board on the evaluations, and Burkhardt said they have been very willing and approachable concerning the new evaluations.

“The faculty we’ve spoken with feel this will be a benefit,” he said.

Rachel Scherle, director of academic affairs for GSB, has been working with Burkhardt and the Faculty Senate to get the evaluations in place.

“We’re mainly focusing on informal evaluations at this point,” Scherle said.

The reason for informal evaluations is mainly a time factor, she said.

“Evaluations can take up to an entire teaching hour, and since the university already sanctions semester evaluations, we don’t feel it is fair to ask professors for another hour,” Scherle said.

The informal methods of evaluations that GSB is looking into could include writing “Dear Professor” letters, where students could let their comments be heard anonymously.

Stephanie Seymour, senior in exercise and sport science, said she thinks the idea of informal evaluations is a good one.

“It would be a good way for students who have problems approaching professors to let them know what needs to be changed,” Seymour said.

Scherle and Burkhardt said they hope both students and professors will benefit from evaluations constructed in this manner.

“We’re looking out for the best interests of the students and the professors,” Scherle said.

ISU students also seem to feel evaluating instructors earlier in the year would be beneficial.

“I think mid-semester evaluations would be a great tool for us to give our professors suggestions and benefit us while we’re still in the class,” said Kelly Goodman, junior in psychology.

Burkhardt said he hopes to have the new evaluations in place by the middle of this semester or next fall.